Press or machine for making saggers or similar articles.



No."775,'706. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

E. W. LEIGH.

PRESS 0R MAGHINE FOR MAKING SAGGERS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15.1902.

. N0 MODEL.- 4 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

' I W. LEIGH. PRESS 0R MACHINE PORM AKING SAGGERS 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15. 1902,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.NO MODEL.

Y 10 MODEL.

E. w. LEIGH.

PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

PRESS OR MACHINE FOR MAKING SAGGERS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

\\\ g f/// v////////// 'No. 775,706. I PATENTED'-NOV.- 22, 1904.

- E. W. LEIGH. PRESS 0R MACHINE FOR MAKING SAGGERS 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JULY .5. 1902.

I0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

UNITED STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

PATENT FHQE.

EDMUND WILLIAM. LEIGH, OF STOKE-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,706, dated November22, 1904.

Application filed July 15, 1902. $erial No. 115,686. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntay concern: Be it known that I, EDMUND WILLIAM LEIGH,of Cobridge, Stoke-unon-Trent, in the county of Stafford, England, haveinvented an Improved Press or Machine for Making saggers or SimilarArticles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

Hitherto the bottom and sides or surrounding wall of saggers,slop-sinks, and similar articles having one closed end have been madeseparately and joined or pressed together before being fired.

My invention consists in making such articles having one closed end withtheir bottom and sides complete in one portion.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved press or machine. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly insection, of the hollow pressing-ram and outer ram of such machine shownat the upper end of their stroke. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3,but showing the hollow ram at the bottom of its stroke. Fig. 5 is anenlarged elevation of the cutting appliance of such machines showndetached therefrom. Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is anenlarged sectional elevation of the lockinggear, shown closed, forsupporting the moldboX pillar. Fig. 8 is a similar sectional elevationto that shown at Fig. 7 the cover being raised, the divided ring open,and supporting-pillar descending; Fig. 9, a sectional elevation of thelower portion of the hollow ram of such machines.

The construction of such press is as follows:

I mount two steam-cylinders g h, with adividing-cover between them, uponfour pillars C D E F, secured at their lowerends to base-plate 23, suchcylinders being provided with pistons, and piston-rods m a 0 having aram-head and divided coupling 8, secured to their lower ends.Across-piece t is fixed between the supporting-pillars, through whichpasses a bush 18, secured therein by set-pins, said bush having keyways45 and 46. A hollow ram or shaft passes through this bush and itsenlarged end or collar 12 is slidably secured in the coupling .9.

the ram and communicating with the interior 7 thereof through openings15 and having openings 17 in the top thereof communicating with theatmosphere.

A block 9" is secured to the lower end of the ram, to which is secured adie-block (0, having an opening 14 in the center thereof communicatingwith the interior of the ram, and holes a, into which fit pegs 21 22,secured to a plate 19, surrounding block a". To the lower end ofpiston-rod 0 is secured the upper end of an air-valve spindle 13, whichdepends through the hollow rain and is adapted to close opening 14:. Aspiral spring 29, resting on a collar 30, formed on the spindle 13,bears against a shoulder formed on the interior of the ram and serves tokeep the ram with its collar 12 pressed against the end of pistonrod 0.The coupling 8 is formed with an interior space M, into which collar 12fits so as to have a limited sliding movement therein, so that ram maycontinue to move downwardly after piston 0 has stopped. A'mold-box Z issecured between the supporting-pillars below the cross-piece t andhaving a ring 33, mounted on ball-bearing 34:, secured to its flange 35,a curvedarm 36, and a knife-blade 38, mounted on such ring, being usedas a severing appliance. A handle 42 is secured to, the ring 33 foroperating the said severing appliance.

The inner periphery of ring6, secured by flange 19 to the mold-box, isfor shaping the outer surface of saggers and other articles, 0 being atable horizontally mounted upon the upper end of a falling and risingpillar (Z, forming the bottom of mold-box, having a plate 6 fixed to itsupper surface by bolts and slidably fitting within rings 6, and uponwhich the bottom of an article is formed, the table being balanced byweights ef', connected to the ends of a length of rope or chainpassingover grooved wheels G H, secured on shafts I J, supported at their endsby bearings secured to the supporting-pillar.

A hollow block 10; having a divided ring 9,

mounted on same, is secured to the upper surface of base-plate 23, witha slidable cover j, having a tapered ring 7 therein, through whichpillar (Z rises and falls.

The lever m is pivoted to the upper surface of cross-piece t, having theupper end of rod 1/ pivoted to its outer end, which rod g has a spring waround its lower end supporting the free ends of lever z, the other endsof which are pivoted to the under side of base-plate 23 and support rods24 25, connected at their upper ends to the lower end of slidablecover];

Z4 is a lever engaging a projection 5 on the cover j and forced by aspring 3 to keep the cover raised.

2 is a foot-rail connected to the weights ef.

The operation of my press or machine is as follows: After securingasuitably-shaped dieblock a to the block a", an outer ring 6 to flange35 of mold-box Z, a plate 6 to the upper surface of table 0, I lubricatethe under side of such die-block and the upper surface of plate I). ThenI admit steam to the under side of pistons in cylinders g h by operatinghandle K and wheel-rod L to raise outer ram '5 and die-block a to theupper end of their stroke. Presuming the inner end 4 of lever Zr isforced by spring 3 beneath projection 5 on cover 7' to keep same in itsraised position, then by standing on foot-rail 2, connected to weights 6f, pillar d is raised to force table 0 up adjacent to die-ring 6, sothat die-plate b will project into such ring. (See Fig. 3.) Bydepressing the outer end of lever to withdraw its inner end 4 frombeneath projection 5, cover j is permitted to fall by gravity to forcering 7 against divided ring 9, slidable horizontally on the upper end ofblock 10 to cause said divided ring to jamb against the tapered lowerend 11 of pillar cZ to support same and retain table 0 up adjacent toring 6. (See Figs. 7 and 8.) Clay or like plastic material is now placedinto interior Z of mold-box Z and steam diverted by operating thecylinder-valve from the under to the upper side of piston in cylinder hto force outer ram 71 downward to compress such material and force someof it between raised die-block a/ and plate I), the quantity being aboutthree times the amount required to insure the bottom of an article beingcompact when finally pressed, air in such space being driven by thematerial through opening 14 in die-block, holes 15 in hollow ram, andopenings 17 in the upper end of jacket 16 in the direction indicated byarrows, Fig. 3. Steam is now shut off from cylinder h, the outer ram 2'remaining stationary, and steam diverted from the under side to theupper side of piston in cylinder 9 to force the lower end of its rod 0down onto the head 12 of hollow ram 10 and lower end of air-spindle 13down into opening 14 level with the under side of die-block a (see Fig.9) to push out any clay which may have entered it and cause suchdie-block to compress the plastic material to the required thickness fora saggerbottom, the plate 19 being kept stationary by clay forcedbeneath and around its beveled periphery 20, while steam in the cylinderg forces such die-block away from'such plate and its depending pegs 2122 to cause a vacuum between block 7' and the said plate to draw air up(see arrows, Fig. 9) and permit surplus clay to pass up throughpeg-holes a. It will be seen that as soon as coupling 8 comes in contactwith the bush 18 the movement of the ram p, with its die-block (0, stopsand the bottom of the sagger is complete. Thus the thickness of thebottom is controlled by the point of contact of the coupling with thebushing 18. This bushing is adjustable by means of the set-pins. Theinner end of lever m having been depressed by coupling 8 raises itsouter end and rod y to compress spring w, which forces rods 24 25 andcover ,7' upward, cover carrying ring 7 up with it. Thus the dividedring 9 is allowed to expand, thus removing its grip from the tapered endof the pillar 0Z. Steam-pressure is now readmitted to the top side ofpiston in cylinder it to force clay beneath ram 11 onto plate 19 toforce it down onto block 'r, and the continued pressure on plate 19overcomes the pressure of spring 29 and the collar 12 of ram 19 movesfrom the top to the bottom of space M in coupling 8, and die-block a isthus forced into ring 6 until its under side is about an inch lower thanthe lower end of such ring, (see Fig. 4,) the clay being extrudedthrough peripheral opening 31 by ram c to form its sides 32, air passingdown through holes 17 in upper end of jacket 16, holes 15 in hollow ram19, and opening 14 in die-block a (see arrows, Fig. 4) to the interiorof such sagger, while its sides are being formed to prevent same beingcollapsed by external air-pressure.

of piston in cylinder 72 to stop descent of ram Z, table 0, and theextrusion of clay when the required depth has been attained, die-block aremaining stationary. By first releasinghandle 39 from catch 40 spring41 will force blade 38, fixed to arm 36, pivoted to bracket 37 throughsagger side 32 and against dieblock (4. Then by rotating ring 33 byhandle 42 on its ball-bearing 34 the upper end of such formed sagger issevered by the said blade from clay in mold-box Z, block or anglepiece43, secured to spring 44, following such blade, smoothing down the burformed during such cutting operation. Table 0 is now depressed by handto release the upper end 'of sagger from die-block a to permit itsremoval from plate 6 for being fired. A bolt g in cover g of cylinder 9regulates the upward stroke of such ram and die-block by the upper endof pistonrod 0 in its descent coming into contact with its lower end.

Such press can be used for making saggers Steam is now diverted from theupper side to the under sideof various shapes and sizes by firstdetaching flange 49 from flange 35, removing ring 6 from within flange49, die-block a from block and plate 6 from table 0, and substitutingother similar parts.

By using a press constructed as described with the required shape ofdie-block and attendant parts,saggers,slop-sinks, wash-bowls, jars, andother articles of various sizes of a superior quality can be made of orfrom prepared clay or similar plastic material in one portion,expeditiously, compact, uniform, and cheaper with less liability tofracture during drying, firing, and use, than those hitherto made.

What I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent, is-.

1. A press for making receptacles having one closed end comprising amold-box, having a movable bottom, an inner piston having a stem, anouter piston surrounding said stem and means for operating said pistons,substantially as described.

2. A press for making receptacles having one closed end, comprising amold-box having a movable bottom, a hollow piston having an opening atits lower end, a second piston surrounding the same and means forreciprocating the pistons, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a mold-box having a movable bottom, a hollowpiston having an opening at its lower end, a jacket surrounding saidpiston and having openings communicating with the interior thereof andopenings to the atmosphere, a second piston surrounding the jacket andmeans for operating said pistons, substantially as described.

I. In combination with a mold-box having a movable bottom, a hollow ram,a die-plate secured thereto having a hole 14 communicating with theinterior of the ram, said plate also having holes a therein, a plate 19surrounding the ram, plugs secured to said plate and entering the holesa in the die-plate and a piston surrounding the ram, substantially asdescribed. I

5. In combination with a mold-box having a movable bottom, inner andouter pistons and independent cylinders for operating said pistons,substantially as described.

6. In combination with a mold-box having a movable bottom, a rod 0, acoupling 8 secured to the end thereof, a ram having its head slidablysecured in the coupling, a cross-piece, a bushing therein against whichthe coupling abuts, a die-plate at one end of the ram and an outerpiston surrounding said ram, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a mold-box having a movable bottom, arod a, acoupling 8, secured to the end thereof, a ram having one end secured insaid coupling and having a limited sliding movement therein, means fornormally holding said ram at the upward limit of its movement in saidcoupling, means for limiting the downward movement of the coup- 9. Incombination with a mold-box, reciprocating pistons operating therein, apillar below said box, a plate secured to the top thereof, said plateforming the bottom of the box, means for raising and lowering saidpillar, said means comprising a split tapered ring suitably supported onthe frame, a second tapered ring adapted to slide over the first ringand a cover fitting over said rings and being adapted to press the ringstogether so as to lock the pillar in raised position and means forunlocking said pillar, substantially as described.

10. In combination With a mold-box, pistons operating therein, a plateforming the bottom of the box, means for raising and lowering saidplate, means for looking it in raised position and means for unlockingsaid plate, said means being operated by the movement of one of thepistons, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 30th day of June, 1902.

EDMUND WILLIAM LEIGH.

Witnesses:

EUWARD W ILTON DAVIES-REES, FREDERICK BARRATT.

